Dougherty Co. residents may want to renew car tags, registration soon

ALBANY, GA (WALB) - If you have any car tags that need to be renewed, you may want to head to the Dougherty County Tag Office soon.

It will be closed for a full week at the end of the Month.

And you can still be fined for driving around with expired tags if you don’t renew them before that week.

If you have a May or June birthday, you should renew your tags and car registration before May 20.

“On Friday, May the 24, the DMV will shut down all systems to implement the new DRIVES system,” said Dougherty County Tax Director Shonna Josey.

In a state-wide effort to update the title and car registration system, tag offices will be closed for days. And here in Dougherty County, the office will close at 2 p.m. on Thursday, May 23, and it won’t reopen until the 28.

“The lines will be long and there may be some delays, especially after we go live May the 28th,” Josey said.

And you can still be pulled over for driving with expired tags if you are up for a renewal before the office closes.

But those at the tag office said the upgrades will be worth it.

“If you apply for a title and you want to check your status, you’ll be able to go online and check for that information without calling our office,” said Josey.

The goal is to keep you out of the tax office on your lunch break. Letting you handle more tag and insurance business online instead.

“On the old system which is almost 20 years old, to a new system now, that’s a tremendous upgrade,” Josey said.

The new Georgia DRIVES system will go live and be ready for use Tuesday, May 28.

There will be no online tag services from May 21st to the 27th.

The office will close at 2 p.m. on the 23 and it will be closed completely May 24 to the 27.